[Added 11-22-2022 by Ord. No. 2022-29]
a. 
Pursuant to P.L. 2021, c. 99, codified at N.J.S.A. 40:48K-1 et seq., the Legislature authorized municipalities to establish property tax reward programs.
b. 
Under a property tax reward program, local businesses commit to paying a percentage of sales, less any operating costs to the program operator, to be credited to residents in the form of property tax relief. Such programs are intended to serve as an effective incentive to shop locally.
c. 
This article authorizes the Township to establish a property tax rewards program in accordance with the above statutory authorization.
[Added 11-22-2022 by Ord. No. 2022-29]
a. 
The Township Committee is hereby authorized to establish a property tax reward program, consistent with its statutory authorization under state law.
b. 
Prior to the enactment of any property tax reward program, the Township Committee shall adopt a resolution authorizing the program and authorizing a contract with a private entity to serve as operator and administer the property tax reward program to property owners in the municipality, in accordance with applicable law.
c. 
The Township shall not be liable in any manner for any action taken by, or omission of an action that should have been taken by, the operator authorized by the governing body to administer the property tax reward program. Any financial irregularity committed by the operator in the administration of the program shall be the sole responsibility of the operator.
[Added 11-22-2022 by Ord. No. 2022-29]
a. 
A property tax reward program implemented by the Township shall allow participating customers to utilize the property tax reward program at no cost to themselves. A property tax reward program shall, at a minimum, provide to participating customers the ability to register for a reward card online, view a record of the customer's past transactions that earned program rewards, and view the total amount of rewards earned. For a transaction to be eligible for a reward under the program, a participating customer shall use or display a reward card when making a purchase of goods or services from a participating business.
b. 
To participate in the property tax reward program, a business owner shall commit to pay the operator a percentage of a gross sale that qualifies as a transaction under the program, including any taxes or other associated tips or fees as charged to a participating customer, to serve as the reward, plus any separate administrative fee due to the operator. The amount of the annual reward earned by a participating customer and credited pursuant to Subsection d of this section shall equal the total amount of all rewards earned by that participating customer during the reward earning period.
c. 
With the authorization of the Township Committee, an operator may also enroll as a participating customer in the property tax reward program a person who is not a property owner in the municipality. The rewards earned by a participating customer described in this subsection shall be paid by the operator directly to that participating customer as soon as is practicable after the end of the rewards period.
d. 
Not later than June 1 annually, or a date agreed to by the Township Committee and the operator, the operator shall provide to the Municipal Tax Collector a list of participating customers who are property owners in the municipality, with the total amount of rewards earned by each property owner during the reward period, and shall transfer the corresponding amounts earned by those participating customers to the tax collector, to be credited against each participating customer's property tax bill. A participating customer who is not a property owner in the municipality shall receive rewards in a form agreed to by the Township Committee and the operator.
e. 
During any period in which the property tax reward program is authorized and operational, there shall be included on or with the tax bill the amount of the property tax reward as a credit against property taxes due and payable by a property owner who participates in the program. The property tax reward program shall be identified on the tax bill as the source of the property tax credit.
f. 
During any period in which the property tax reward program is authorized, the Township shall report any irregularity, financial or otherwise, that it believes has occurred in the operator's administration of the program, to the Director of the Division of Local Government Services in the Department of Community Affairs, and to any other department or agency of state, county, or local government, as the Township Committee deems appropriate.